PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL

Abstract: A process for the removal of contaminants from particulate material. The process includes the steps of feeding a feedstock of the particulate material through a series of treatment stages in which it is contacted with a washing liquid and then separated from the washing liquid. Washing liquid removed from at least one of the treatment stages is passed to the stage previously encountered by the feedstock and the feedstock and washing liquid are passed in opposite senses or countercurrent fashion with respect to adjacent stages. The treatment stages include a first extractant treatment stage in which a first extractant solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a first kind and a second extractant treatment stage in which a second extractant treatment solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a second kind.

Description: Process for the treatment of particulate material The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of particulate material, in particular a process to remove contaminants from the material by leaching. Soil washing to remove contaminants is an established practice in several countries. The process employed in soil washing industrial plants is generally wet classification of the soil into a number of particle size fractions, allowing isolation of the more heavily contaminated fractions (generally the clay/silt fraction) from the less contaminated fraction (generally the sand/gravel fraction) . The contaminated fraction can then be further treated or disposed of in a suitable facility and the clean fraction(s) can be put to beneficial use. This process suffers from two fundamental drawbacks as follows. Soils containing high proportions of clay/silt cannot usually be economically treated because of the high proportion of secondary waste which would be produced. Soils containing a sand/gravel fraction with contamination which is resistant to wet scrubbing may not be treatable. These drawbacks can be overcome using leaching processes, where the contaminants are taken into solution, allowing beneficial re-use of the whole soil. Leaching may be carried out in countercurrent systems where the leachant flows in the opposite direction to a feedstock of the material being leached. Such systems may comprise either one continuous stage or a number of discrete stages each comprising a solid/liguid contact and a solid/liquid separation. The use of such countercurrent systems brings difficulties where the feedstock contains substances of different kinds, for example soil containing as contaminants both radionuclideε and hazardous organic substances. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for the removal of contaminants from particulate material including feeding a feedstock of the particulate material through a series of treatment stages in which it is contacted with a washing liquid and then separated from the washing liquid, washing liguid removed from at least one of the stages being passed to the stage previously encountered by the feedstock whereby the feedstock and washing liquid are passed in opposite senses or countercurrent fashion with respect to adjacent stages, and wherein the said treatment stages include a first extractant treatment stage in which a first extractant solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a first kind and a second extractant treatment stage in which a second extractant treatment solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a second kind. The use of different extractant solutions in the said first and second stages allows sequential extraction of contaminants of different types thereby facilitating their separate treatment whilst minimising the volume of liquid employed in the process by using the countercurrent method. The said particulate material may comprise soil, rock particles, dredgings, sediments, sludges, process residues and the like. The contaminants may be contained in the surface of the particulate material or bound inside the particles thereof. The said contaminants of the first kind may comprise organic contaminants such as halogenated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The said contaminants of the second kind may include: (i) actini es or their radioactive decay products or compounds thereof; (ii) fission products; (iii) heavy metals or compounds thereof. Actinides are elements having periodic numbers in the inclusive range 89 to 104. The term 'fission product 1 as used herein refers to those elements formed as direct products (or so-called 'fission fragments') in the fission of nuclear fuel and products formed from such direct products by beta decay. Fission products include elements in the range from selenium to cerium including elements such as 5βBa, 4øZr and 52Te 55CS and s β ^e. Heavy metals desired to be separated by the process of the present invention include toxic metals such as chromium, lead, cadmium and mercury which are commonly found as earth contaminants near industrial plants and on waste disposal sites and in aquatic sediments employing chemicals containing those elements. The contaminants separated in the second stage of the process of the present invention may include a mixture of radioactive and metallic contaminants. Alternatively, a third extractant treatment stage may be employed in order to extract metallic and radioactive contaminants in separate stages or selected contaminants in different stages, viz the second and third stages. The washing liquid may "comprise water optionally with one or more inorganic additives, eg pH adjusters, to avoid precipitation, or one or more organic additives, eg polyelectrolyte. The first extractant may comprise a first aqueous solution and/or an organic solvent and the second extractant may comprise a second aqueous solution. Extractant leaving the first stage and containing contaminants of the first kind dissolved therein may be passed to a separator in which the dissolved contaminants are extracted- The clean extractant solution may thereafter be recirculated to the first stage. Likewise, extractant leaving the second extractant treatment stage having contaminants of the second kind dissolved therein may be passed to a separator in which the dissolved contaminants are extracted. The extractant solution may thereafter be recirculated to the second extractant treatment stage. In the process according to the present invention the feedstock of particulate material may be passed sequentially through the first extractant treatment stage, a first water washing stage, the second extractant treatment stage and a second water washing stage. Water (together with any optional additive(s) ) extracted from the first water washing stage may be passed in countercurrent fashion to the first extractant treatment stage. Similarly, water extracted from the second water washing stage may be passed in countercurrent fashion to the second extractant treatment stage. In this way, where the first extractant is applied to remove organic contaminants and the second extractant is applied to remove metal and/or radioactive contaminants, the first water washing stage frees the particulate material of entrained organic contaminants and remains of first extractant which might adversely affect the performance of the second extractant, eg by coating the feedstock particles and preventing the second extracting contacting the particles. The second water washing stage frees the particles of the feedstock from remains of the second extractant and dissolved contaminants. Any one or more of the said stages may itself include a plurality of sub-stages each including a contactor for contacting the feedstock with washing liquid from the next sub-stage which the feedstock is to encounter and a separator for separating the washed feedstock from the washing liquid. The process according to the present invention may include a pre-treatment step before the said treatment stages. The pre-treatment step may comprise one or more of screening, crushing and scrubbing to form particles of the correct size in the feedstock material. In the process according to the present invention where the first extractant is applied to extract organic contaminants the extractant may comprise a surfactant, eg sodium dedocylsulphate, an organic solvent eg aliphatic alcohols or a proprietary chemical. In the process according to the present invention where the second extractant is applied to extract heavy metals and/or radioactive contaminants (actinides, decay products or compounds thereof or fission products) the extractant may comprise Solution X as follows. Solution X comprises an aqueous solution which is free of heavy metal ions (prior to use thereof) and comprises ingredients which are naturally degradable to non-toxic products with or without mild physical assistance such as heat or ultra-violet radiation, said solution comprising: (a) carbonated water; (b) a conditioning agent; and (c) a complexing agent which comprises the anion of a single or multiple carboxylic acid species having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms in the or each such carboxylic acid species. In Solution X described above the carbonated water may comprise CO3 or HCθ 3 ~ ions in aqueous solution. The pH of the said aqueous solution comprising Solution X may be in the range 5 to 13, especially 5 to 9, and may be controlled using a carbonate such as sodium carbonate to provide the carbonated solution and/or use of another alkaline ingredient, eg sodium hydroxide. Desirably, the said process is one which may be carried out a temperature of less than 35°C and which gives no toxic or explosive off gases. Desirably, the said solution contains no ingredients, eg nitrates or sulphates, which will damage building materials, eg concrete, in which the material to be treated might be contained or promote a runaway reaction with uncorroded metals, eg any magnesium present. The actinide(s) , fission product(s) , heavy metals and compounds thereof may dissolve in the aqueous medium as a carbonate compound as well as in the form of a complex. The complexing agent of Solution X may be selected from the anion of a carboxylic acid in the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid and EDTA (ethylenediamine tetracetic acid) . The conditioning agent may comprise an oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen-enriched air or potassium permanganate, or a reducing agent such as hydrazine or hydroxylamine. Hydrogen peroxide is preferred. Desirably, the complexing agent is present in the said solution in a concentration in the range from 0.0001 to 5 Mol dm -3 , especially 0.0005 to 0.1 Mol dm -3 . Desirably, the said conditioning agent is present in the said solution in a concentration in the range from 0.01 Molar to 3 Molar. It is believed that the conditioning agent changes the oxidation state of the contaminant metal to a state which renders the metal soluble by forming a complex with the complexing agent and/or by the natural solubility of the conditioned cation in the leaching solution. The complex produced by the complexing agent and the metal may facilitate the oxidation or reduction carried out by the conditioning agent. For example, it is thought that citrate ions and insoluble plutonium form a soluble plutonium complex, and that the presence of citrate ions facilitates the oxidation of the plutonium by the conditioning agent, eg hydrogen peroxide, to a more soluble oxidation state, such as plutonium (IV) . Each washing stage (or each sub-stage within such stage) may comprise a stirred tank as a liquid/solid contactor and a hydrocyclone or filter as a liquid/solid separator. Desirably, the feedstock movement is effected by one or more pumps which may be located in one or more of the washing stages or sub-stages. Organic material in the first extractant may be treated in a known way in the extractant, eg by biotreat ent or oxidation, or separated from the. extractant and treated separately, eg decomposed by incineration or recovered (if useful) eg by distillation, or immobilised, eg by sorption. Metallic or radioactive contaminants may be removed from the second extractant in the second extractant separator by a known method, eg precipitation. By treating organic contaminants separately from metallic and radioactive contaminants in the process of the present invention instead of using a single leaching stage in which contaminant removal is combined as in the prior art more efficient overall contaminant removal is unexpectedly effected. Particles may be treated with a first extractant to remove organic contaminants and then washed so that the extractant does not affect efficiency of treatment by the second extractant to remove metallic and radioactive contaminants. This also allows separate treatment/disposal of extracted contaminants which makes leachate treatment easier and avoids generation of mixed hazardous wastes (radioactive and non-radioactive but toxic) . If the second extractant itself contains an organic component, as in the case of Solution X, this component can be extracted by the first extractant if the first and second extractants are combined as in the prior art. Such extraction itself reduces the efficiency of the second extractan . Published GB 2229312A by the present Applicants describes an aqueous medium comprising Solution X which was designed for the purpose of dissolving, to enable separation of, actinides contained in so-called Magnox sludge resulting from the long-term storage underwater of irradiated nuclear fuel encased in containers made of Magnox, a magnesium alloy. EP 0533494A also by the present Applicants describes the use of compositions of Solution X for use in the decontamination of soil and other particulate materials. In the examples of Solution X which have been developed and used hitherto the cations used have comprised sodium, eg introduced as one or more of sodium carbonate or bicarbonate, sodium peroxide or sodium citrate or introduced separately e.g. as sodium hydroxide. We have found when using Solution X prepared from sodium salts and/or sodium hydroxide to treat soil containing a high proportion of clay that the resulting slurry has poor filtration characteristics. Also, we have found that certain minerals present in soil can dissolve in the solution and can have an adverse effect on the treated soil and this may in some cases result in an undesirable increase in the amount of secondary waste produced. According to a second aspect of the present invention Solution X as hereinbefore defined comprises cations selected from potassium and/or calcium. Formulations of Solution X comprising cations of potassium and/or calcium will herein be referred to as "improved formulations of Solution X". The molar concentration of the ions replacing sodium ions eg of potassium ions or calcium ions or potassium and calcium ions (where combined) is desirably not substantially less than the molar concentration of complexing agent present in the Solution X. The molar concentration of the potassium ions and for calcium ions may be from one fifth to five times the molar concentration of the complexing agent present. As noted above use of solutions based upon sodium ions as Solution X for soil leaching applications results in slurries having poor filtration characteristics. This is believed to be due to disruption of the clay lattice by exchange of sodium ions resulting in the formation of fine flocculated solid particles. We have found unexpectedly and beneficially that use of potassium instead of sodium improves filtration characteristics as exemplified hereinafter. This improvement is believed to be due to lesser disruption of the clay lattice by the leachant solution. Also, we have observed when using sodium solutions to treat soil containing a high proportion of calcium, for example as chalk or limestone, that significant dissolution of the calcium can occur. We believe this to be due to the formation of soluble complexes with the complexing agent. We have found unexpectedly and beneficially that use of calcium instead of sodium in the Solution X formulation in applications where calcium soil is to be treated inhibits the leaching of calcium from the soil and that by using such deliberately introduced calcium the performance of the Solution X is not significantly impaired. The comparative extraction efficiencies of formulations of Solution X containing respectively sodium and calcium are exemplified hereinafter. Improved formulations of Solution X according to the second aspect of the present invention may be used in all applications known for the use of Solution X. For example, such formulations may be employed as a leachate to decontaminate particulate material for example soil, rock particles, dredgings, sediments, sludges, process residues and the like. Where the soil or other particles contains calcium desirably the improved formulation of Solution X includes cal'cium ions. For example, the said process may be a process for the treatment of material which is or is suspected to be contaminated with one or more actinides or their radioactive decay products or fission products or other heavy metals or compounds thereof, which process includes contacting the said material with a liquid medium which comprises an improved formulation of Solution X as defined hereinbefore, wherein the said process is for soil treatment for land remediation and includes the steps of removing soil from a site of contamination or suspected contamination, transporting the soil to a treatment plant and leaching the soil with the said liquid medium thereby dissolving contaminants as complexes in said liquid medium. The said process provides a method of treating soil so that the contaminants contained in the soil are leached from the soil by dissolution in the said liquid medium comprising Solution X thereby restoring the soil to a substantially safer condition. The soil treated by the said process may be that obtained from the vicinity of a nuclear materials processing, storage or other nuclear plant or from an industrial zone or a waste disposal site in which heavy metals have contaminated the ground. It may also be from ground contaminated by application of sewage sludge or solids obtained from the dredging of silt or mud or other aquatic sediment. The contaminants separated by the aforementioned process using improved formulations of Solution X of the present invention may include a mixture of contaminants of the different types as hereinbefore described in relatipn to the first aspect of the present invention. In improved Solution X according to the present invention the carbonated water may comprise CO3 or HC03~ ions in aqueous solution. The pH of the said aqueous solution comprising the improved Solution X may -be in the range 5 to 13 , especially 5 to 9, and may be controlled using a carbonate such as sodium carbonate where Ca ions (but not K ions) are employed to provide the carbonated solution and/or use of another alkaline ingredient eg NaOH (where Ca ions but not K ions are employed) . Desirably, the said process is one which may be carried out at a temperature of less than 35°C and which gives no toxic or explosive off gases. Desirably, the said solution contains no ingredients, eg nitrates or sulphates, which will damage building materials, eg concrete, in which the material to be treated might be contained or promote a runaway reaction with uncorroded metals, eg any magnesium present. The actinide(ε), fission product(s), heavy metals and compounds thereof may dissolve in the aqueous medium as a carbonate compounds as well as in the form of a complex: The complexing agent of the improved Solution X may be selected from the anion of a single or multiple carboxylic acid species, e.g. an agent in the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, and EDTA (ethylenediamine tetracetic acid) . The conditioning agent may comprise an oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen-enriched air or potassium permanganate, or a reducing agent such as hydrazine or hydroxylamine. Hydrogen peroxide is preferred. Desirably, the complexing agent is present in the said solution in a concentration in the range from 0.0001 to 5 Mol dm -3 , especially 0.0005 to 0.1 Mol dm -3 . Desirably, the said conditioning agent is present in the said solution in a concentration in the range from 0.001 Molar to 3 Molar. A number of the major hazardous radioactive contaminants other than uranium which might be encountered include other actinides such as americium and neptunium. These elements and plutonium have a chemistry which is quite different from that of uranium. However, such contaminants can be dissolved by Solution X. In the process according to the first aspect of the present invention one of the extractant treatment stages, eg the second stage may be that in which the extractant is an improved formulation of Solution X according to the present invention. Desirably, the improved formulation of Solution X includes potassium ions where the step of separating the feedstock from washing liquid includes filtration. An alternative process for the use of improved formulations of Solution X in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention comprises leaching contaminants from plutonium contaminated materials (pcm) as described in Applicants' International Patent Application No. GB 93/02212. Where radionuclides such as actinides are recovered by dissolution in improved formulations of Solution X in accordance with the present invention, such radionuclides are desirably recovered in concentrated form from the aqueous medium after separation therefrom of the washed material. The recovery may be by one of the known methods employed for recovering actinides from solutions in which they are dissolved, such as evaporation, and/or solvent extraction and/or ion exchange, and/or floe treatment. Other processes such as reverse osmosis may be employed to purify the separated aqueous liquid medium further which, after purification, may be re-used, eg by recirculation, in the soil washing process. Individual actinides recovered in the manner described may be further separated by known selective separation techniques. The contaminant concentrate residue obtained from the above processes after separation of actinides may be disposed of in a manner suitable for the type of contaminant involved. For example, where the contaminants include fission products the residue may be handled and disposed of by one of the methods known for the disposal of high level or intermediate level radioactive waste associated with irradiated nuclear fuel. For example, the residue may be encapsulated in glass by a known vitrification technique carried out remotely within a radiation-stable structure, eg made of concrete. Actinide separation and residue vitrification processes are currently known processes employed by the present Applicants at their Sellafield reprocessing plants. Where the said process is to be employed for washing of soil and the like the objective of using the process is that after the soil washing process has taken place the soil is reduced to a safer state. Normally, it will be re-transported to a site from which it was excavated and allowed to be relaid. Care is taken not to re-contaminate the soil by contact with untreated soil. In many cases the state of the treated soil should be sufficiently safe, either immediately or after a suitable time, that it can be used in applications where the public may have access to the land of which it forms part. Some particulate materials such as soils are often contaminated by metals which although hazardous to humans or the environment are of significant commercial value. It is desirable when treating such soils to reduce their contaminant levels so that as much as possible of the removed metals should be recycled for beneficial use rather than disposed of as a secondary waste. According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for the recovery of metal from particulate material contaminated with metal containing species which comprises the steps of treating the particulate material with a leachant extractant solution which dissolves the metal contaminants, separating the leachate containing metal from the particulate material, passing the leachate containing metal into an electrochemical cell to form an electrolyte between an anode and a cathode in the cell and passing an electric current between the anode and the cathode to cause electrodeposition of the dissolved metal in the leachate onto the cathode. Desirably, after electrodeposition of the metal the leachate is recirculated for re-use in the particulate treating step. The leachate may if necessary be treated by one or more known processes to purify it further before re-use. The leachant extractant solution desirably comprises an aqueous solution comprising a carbonate or bicarbonate, an oxidant such as peroxide and a chelant. A preferred form of the leachant extractant solution comprises Solution X or an improved formulation of Solution X as hereinbefore described. Electrodeposition is known per se and a variety of techniques are known for the removal of metals from dilute solutions as described hereinafter. However, extractant solutions such as Solution X or an improved formulation of Solution X are designed to keep heavy metals and radionuclides in solution and it is therefore surprising that these elements can be re-extracted from the solution simply and effectively by electrodeposition. The resulting extractant solution after electrodeposition of the metals is relatively free from soil minerals, unlike the prior art processes, and unexpectedly and beneficially is therefore amenable to recycle. The extractant solution may therefore be returned to the vessel in which the particulate treatment is carried out. The present invention beneficially facilitates the efficient recovery of useful metals from the extractant solution. An additional benefit is that metal contaminants of little or no commercial value can be recovered in a more concentrated form than is possible for other known recovery methods, eg hydroxide precipitation, employed with leaching processes, thereby reducing waste volumes for disposal. The separation of metals by electrodeposition from the extractant solution may be supplemented by one of the other known methods employed for recovering metals from solutions in which they are dissolved, such as evaporation, and/or solvent extraction and/or ion exchange, and/or floe treatment. Other processes such as reverse osmosis may be employed to assist purification of the separated extractant solution prior to its recirculation and re-use in the soil washing process. Individual actinides recovered in the manner described may be further separated by known selective separation techniques. The metal (s) deposited on the cathode of the electrochemical cell may be extracted in a known way suitable for the metal (s) concerned. For example the cathode may be extracted and treated with acid. As noted above, methods and electrochemical cells for the recovery of metals from dilute solutions are known per se, eg to treat industrial effluents, and in some cases are commercially available. For example, multiple electrodes, eg steel or titanium optionally coated with noble metals may be employed. Cell geometries may include two-dimensional arrangements of parallel plates or rotating cylindrical electrodes. Alternatively, three dimensional electrode arrangements or constructions may include porous, packed or fluidised bed electrodes. Expanded metal mesh electrodes immersed in small beads, eg of glass, can be employed, The beads provide agitation to facilitate good mass transfer. Such beads can be employed in a fluid bed. Alternatively, a hydrocyclone arrangement may be employed to facilitate mass transfer conditions. The electrolyte in the electrodeposition step may be arranged to flow continuously through the electrolytic cell arrangement or alternatively may be allowed to enter the cell and remain in the cell for sufficient time to permit the dissolved metals to be electrodeposited. In either case, the metals need to be removed from the cell faster than the rate at which leachate containing dissolved metals introduces them which in practice means faster than the rate at which particulate material containing the metals introduces them into the apparatus in which it is to be treated by the leachant extractant solution. Where the electrolyte remains in the cell the residence time can be set and a control system can be employed at the end of the residence time to extract spent electrolyte and introduce new electrolyte. The cell outlet may contain a known metal ion detector which senses the amount of residual metal in the solution. Where this amount is greater than a pre-determined limit, the solution may be returned to the electrolytic cell for further metal ion removal before onward discharge into the recirculation loop to the particulate material treatment apparatus. The metal deposited on the cathode of the electrochemical cell may be extracted in a known way. The process of treating particulate material may comprise the process according to the first aspect of the present invention. Extractant leaving the second extractant treatment stage having contaminants of the second kind dissolved therein may be passed to a separator comprising an electrochemical cell in which the dissolved contaminants are extracted by the aforementioned electrodeposition. The extractant solution may thereafter be recirculated to the second extractant treatment stage. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block schematic diagram illustrating a sequence of stages in a countercurrent leaching process embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing one of the stages (or sub-stages) in the sequence shown in Figure 1. In the process illustrated in Figure 1 arrows labelled S indicate flow of solid particulate material and arrows labelled L indicate flow of cleaning liquids. Material to be treated, eg soil to be decontaminated, is given any necessary pre-treatments eg crushing, sieving, scrubbing in a preliminary step 1 (which may in practice be a series of steps) , after which it is applied as feedstock material to a first extractant treatment stage 3 in which dissolved organic contaminants are removed. The feedstock material is contacted in stage 3 with an aqueous solution comprising a mixture of water obtained from the output of a first water washing stage 5 (to which the feedstock is next to be applied after the stage 3) and an extractant for organic material obtained from a separator 7. After washing with the leachant solution in stage 3 the solid feedstock material is separated from the solution and passed on to the first water washing stage 5. Extractant solution containing dissolved contaminants is passed from the stage 3 to the separator 7 in which the dissolved contaminants are removed to enable clean extractant solution to be recirculated as input to stage 3. In the washing stage 5, water from a water source Wl is contacted with the feedstock particulate material to wash the material, after which the water is separated from the feedstock material and applied as an input to the earlier stage 3 as mentioned above. The feedstock material is next passed to a second extractant treatment stage 9 in which heavy metal or radioactive contaminants are removed. The feedstock material is contacted in stage 9 with an aqueous solution comprising a mixture of water obtained from the output of a second water washing stage 11 (to which the feedstock is next to be applied after the stage 9) and extractant for metals and/or radioactive contaminants obtained from a separator 13. This extractant may be Solution X or an improved formulation of Solution X containing calcium and/or potassium as described above. After washing with the extractant solution in stage 9 the solid feedstock material is separated from the solution and passed onto the second water washing stage 11. Extractant solution containing dissolved contaminants is passed from stage 9 to the separator 13 , which may comprise an electrolytic cell as described above in relation to the third aspect of the present invention, in which the dissolved contaminants are removed to enable clean extractant solution to be recirculated as input to stage 9. In the washing stage 11, water from a water source W2 is contacted with the feedstock material to further wash the material after which the water is separated from the feedstock material and applied as an input to the earlier stage 9 as mentioned above. Finally, the output feedstock material is separated in a separator 15 into washings 17 and clean, decontaminated particulate material 19. Figure 2 further illustrates one of the washing stages (eg stage 3, 5, 9 or 11) shown in Figure 1. In Figure 2, feedstock material (from the previous stage in the process) flows under gravity along a pipeline 21 into a contactor 23. In the contactor 23, which may comprise an open stirred tank, the feedstock material is thoroughly washed with water applied via a pipeline 27 from the next succeeding stage in the process (unless the stage is that at which water is first being introduced eg from the source Wl) . The feedstock material and washing liquid are then pumped by a pump 25 located after the contactor 23 to a separator 29, eg hydrocyclone, in which the washing liquid is removed from the solid feedstock material. The liquid is passed via a pipeline 31 to the previous stage (unless it is extractant solution which has to be passed to a separator, eg separator 7 in Figure 1) and the feedstock material is passed via a pipeline 33 to the next stage in the sequence. Any one or more of the stages 3, 5, 9 and 11 shown in Figure 1 may itself comprise two or more sub-stages each sub-stage being an arrangement as illustrated in Figure 2. The following example illustrates the improvement obtained by using potassium instead of sodium cations in Solution X in processes such as that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Firstly, successive filtrations of slurries of a given clay material formed using Solution XI comprising carbonate, peroxide, EDTA and sodium ions were carried out, the molar concentration of EDTA and sodium being in the ratio 1:3. Next successive filtrations under the same filtration conditions of slurries of the same clay using the same clay/leachate ratio were carried out using Solution X2 comprising the same carbonate, peroxide and EDTA concentrations as in Solution XI but with two thirds of the sodium ions replaced by potassium ions (otherwise to the same molar concentration) . The comparative results are shown in Table 1 in which it can be seen that Solution X2 gives slurry with much improved filtration properties compared to Solution XI. Table 1; The following further example illustrates the effect of using calcium instead of sodium cations in Solution X formulations in processes such as that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Firstly, the extraction efficiency (ie percentage of contaminant removed by dissolution) for Solution XI as aforesaid was measured for a range of heavy metal contaminants which could be present on soil. Next, the extraction efficiency for Solution X3 as follows was measured for the same contaminants in the same concentrations. Solution X3 comprises carbonate, peroxide and EDTA in the same concentrations as in Solution XI but with sodium ions replaced by calcium ions calcium being present in a concentration equimolar with EDTA. The extraction efficiencies for Solution X3 all relative to those for solution X2 are shown in Table 2 as follows. Table 2: Comparison of Extraction Efficiencies Although the extraction efficiencies are slightly reduced in some cases (but unaffected in other cases) by using calcium instead of sodium the reduction is generally only small and this minor disadvantage is acceptable and outweighed by the important advantage described above, ie the avoidance of forming calcium complexes when using calcium containing particulate material. 5/15566 21 The efficiency of removing metals and radionuclides from a solution comprising Solution X in concentrations found in particulate contamination situations has been successfully demonstrated experimentally. The example of Solution X employed EDTA as complexing agent H2O 2 together with sodium carbonate solution all to a concentration of 0.1M and had the contaminant metal or radionuclide dissolved therein at concentrations of between 15 and 1100 mg/1. Firstly, 1000 mg/1 of lead was dissolved in solution and lead was removed from the solution electrolytically with a current efficiency of 38 per cent even with no pH adjustment of the Solution X. The cathode potential was -1.8 volts relative to a standard calomel electrode. In a further test the same Solution X containing lead and five other metals and radionuclides as follows was electrolysed using a single applied voltage as above. An extraction efficiency similar to that with lead per se was obtained. The other metals and radionuclides and their concentrations in Solution X were as follows:

Claims: Claims 1. A process for the removal of contaminants from particulate material including feeding a feedstock of the particulate material through a series of treatment stages in which it is contacted with a washing liquid and then separated from the washing liquid, washing liquid removed from at least one of the stages being passed to the stage previously encountered by the feedstock whereby the feedstock and washing liquid are passed in opposite senses or countercurrent fashion with respect to adjacent stages, and wherein the said treatment stages include a first extractant treatment stage in which a first extractant solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a first kind and a second extractant treatment stage in which a second extractant treatment solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a second kind. 2. A process as in Claim 1 and wherein the said particulate material comprises soil, rock particles, dredgingε, sediments, sludges or process residues, the contaminants being contained in the surface of the particulate material or bound inside the particles thereof. 3. A process as in Claim 1 or Claim 2 and wherein the said contaminants of the first kind comprise organic contaminants and the said contaminants of the second kind include: (i) actinides or their radioactive decay products or compounds thereof; or (ii) fission products; or (iii) heavy metals or compounds thereof. 4. A process as in Claim 3 and wherein the contaminants separated in the second stage of the process of the present invention include a mixture of radioactive contaminants and non-radioactive metallic contaminants. 5. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and including one or more further extractant treatment stages to extract contaminants of a selected type. 6. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the washing liquid comprises water optionally with one or more additives. 7. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the first extractant comprises a first aqueous solution and/or an organic solvent and the second extractant comprises a second aqueous solution. 8. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and wherein extractant leaving the first stage and containing contaminants of the first kind dissolved therein is passed to a separator in which the dissolved contaminants are extracted, the clean extractant solution thereafter being recirculated directly or via one or more purification stages to the first stage and wherein the extractant leaving the second extractant treatment stage having contaminants of the second kind dissolved therein is passed to a separator in which the dissolved contaminants are extracted, the clean extractant solution thereafter being recirculated either directly or via one or more purification stages to the second extractant treatment stage. 9. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the feedstock of particulate material is passed sequentially through the first extractant treatment stage, a first water washing stage, the second extractant treatment stage and a second water washing stage, water extracted from the first water washing stage being passed in countercurrent fashion to the first extractant treatment stage and similarly, water extracted from the second water washing stage being passed in countercurrent fashion to the second extractant treatment stage. 10. A process as in Claim 8 and wherein any one or more of the said stages itself includes a plurality of sub-stages each including a contactor for contacting the feedstock with washing liquid from the next sub-stage which the feedstock is to encounter and a separator for separating the washed feedstock from the washing liquid. 11. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the process additionally includes a pre-treatment step before the said treatment stages. 12. A process as in any one of the preceding claims and wherein in one of the said extractant treatment stages the particulate material is treated with an extractant solution for radioisotopes or for heavy metals which comprises an aqueous solution which is free of heavy metal ions (prior to use thereof) and comprises ingredients which are naturally degradable to non-toxic products with or without mild physical assistance such as heat or ultra¬ violet radiation, said solution comprising: (a) carbonated water; (b) a conditioning agent; and (c) a complexing agent which comprises the anion of a single or multiple carboxylic acid species having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms in the ' or each such carboxylic acid species. 13. A leachant solution which comprises an aqueous solution which is free of heavy metal ions and comprises ingredients which are naturally degradable to non-toxic products with or without mild physical assistance, the solution comprising: (a) a carbonate or bicarbonate; (b) an oxidising agent; and (c) a complexing agent which comprises the anion of a single or multiple carboxylic acid species having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms in each carboxylic acid group and wherein the solution includes cations selected from potassium and calcium ions. 14. A solution as in Claim 13 and wherein the solution has a pH in the inclusive range 5 to 13. 15. A solution as in Claim 13 or Claim 14 and wherein the complexing agent is selected from the group comprising anions of citric acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid and EDTA. 16. A solution as in any one of Claims 13 to 15 and wherein the oxidising agent is selected from peroxides, ozone, oxygen enriched air and potassium permanganate. 17. A solution as in any one Claims 13 to 16 and wherein the complexing agent has a molar concentration in the inclusive range 0.0005 to 0.5 Mol dm -3 . 18. A solution as in any one of Claims 13 to 17 and wherein the oxidising agent has a concentration in the inclusive range 0.001 Molar to 3 Molar. 19. A solution as in any one of Claims 13 to 18 and wherein the potassium ions and/or calcium ions are present in a molar concentration which is from one fifth to five times the molar concentration of the complexing agent. 20. A process of use of a solution as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 19 which comprises decontaminating particulate material comprising soil, rock particles, dredgings, sediments, sludges or process residues. 21. A process as in Claim 20 and wherein the said process is a process for the treatment of material which is or is suspected to be contaminated with one or more actinides or their radioactive decay products or fission products or other heavy metals or compounds thereof. 22. A process as in Claim 21 and which process includes contacting the said material with a liquid medium which comprises a solution as in any one of Claims 13 to 19, wherein the said process is employed for soil treatment for land remediation and includes the steps of removing soil from a site of contamination or suspected contamination, transporting the soil to a treatment plant and leaching the soil with the said liquid medium thereby dissolving contaminants as complexes in said liquid medium. 23. A process as in Claim 20, Claim 21 or Claim 22 and wherein the process is for the removal of contaminants from the surface of particulate material and comprises feeding a feedstock of the particulate material through a series of treatment stages in which it is contacted with a washing liquid and then separated from the washing liquid, washing liquid removed from at least one of the stages being passed to the stage previously encountered by the feedstock whereby the feedstock and washing liquid are passed in opposite senses or countercurrent fashion with respect to adjacent stages, and wherein the said treatment stages include a first extractant treatment stage in which a first extractant solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a first kind and a second extractant treatment stage in which a second extractant treatment solution is employed to dissolve contaminants of a second kind, wherein in one of the extractant treatment stages, the extractant solution is a solution as in any one of Claims 13 to 19. 24. A process for the recovery of metal from particulate material contaminated with metal containing species which comprises the steps of treating the particulate material with a leachant extractant solution which dissolves the metal contaminants, separating the leachate containing metal from the particulate material, passing the leachate containing metal into an electrochemical cell to form an electrolyte between an anode and a cathode in the cell and passing an electric current between the anode and the cathode to cause electrodeposition of the dissolved metal in the leachate onto the cathode. 25. A process as in Claim 24 and wherein after electrodeposition of the metal the leachate is recirculated for re-use in the particulate treating step. 26. A process as in Claim 24 or Claim 25 and wherein the leachate is treated by one or more known processes to purify it further before re-use in the particulate treating step. 27. A process as in Claim 24, Claim 25 or Claim 26 and wherein the leachant extractant solution comprises an aqueous solution comprising a carbonate or bicarbonate, an oxidant and a chelant. 28. A process as in Claim 27 and wherein the leachant extractant solution comprises a solution which is free of heavy metal ions (prior to use thereof) and comprises ingredients which are naturally degradable to non-toxic products with or without mild physical assistance such as heat or ultra-violet radiation, said solution comprising: (a) carbonated water; (b) a conditioning agent comprising a peroxide; and (c) an organic acid complexing agent which comprises the anion of a single or multiple organic acid species eg a carboxylic acid species having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms in the or each carboxylic acid group. 29. A process as in Claim 28 and wherein the leachant extractant solution includes cations selected from potassium and calcium ions. 30. A process as in any one of Claims 24 to 29 and wherein the process is employed for the decontamination of particulate material comprising soil, rock* particles, dredgings, sediments, sludges or process residues. 31. A process as in Claim 30 and wherein the said process is for treatment of particulate material which is or is suspected to be contaminated with one or more actinides or compounds thereof or their radioactive decay products or fission products or other heavy metals or compounds thereof. 32. A process as in Claim 31 and wherein the said process is for soil treatment for land remediation and includes the steps of removing soil from a site of contamination or suspected contamination, transporting the soil to a treatment plant and leaching the soil with the said liquid medium thereby dissolving contaminants as complexes in said liquid medium.

Inventors: BRIERLEY KENNETH WALTER, ELLISON MICHAEL ROBERT, BRIERLEY, KENNETH, WALTER, ELLISON, MICHAEL, ROBERT
Applicants: BRIERLEY KENNETH WALTER, BRITISH NUCLEAR FUELS PLC, ELLISON MICHAEL ROBERT, BRIERLEY, KENNETH, WALTER, ELLISON, MICHAEL, ROBERT
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G21F9
IPC codes: B01D11, B09C1, C01G43, C01G53, C22B3, C25C1, G21F9